I wrote the composition notes of. VdN. Vintage extrait (along with Vintage Miss Dior and Vintage caron NdN) in my Avon Bird of. Paradise review. In summary, balsamic woody oriental chypre 1933, including hesperedic notes: bergamot, petit grain; Galbanum, narcissus/daffodil; jasmine, iris/orris root; sandalwood, vanillin (guerlain and, I think, caron, famously insisted on synthetic, adulterated vanillin, a component in caron Mousse de Saxe), amber, oakmoss, benzoin, ambergris, musk, castoreum. (Caron is most famous for using mousse de Saxe; I don't know if Guerlain did as well, but there were numerous premade concoctions: mousse de Saxe, mousse de Chene, etc., by De Laire and other companies). Off topic, I read somewhere that E. Routnitska was known to perform his own personal oxidation of DeLaire compound, in Rochas Femme and other creations.

I had a quarter ounce of VdN vintage extrait; I don't know if I would buy vintage extrait again, but I have ordered VdN vintage clock or disc bottle, new old stock, Edc, circa 1960s-1980s? It has a glass stopper, not a metal screw cap. I also ordered VdN current modern edition (2013 or latter) extrait (presumably with Theirry Wassers reengineered oak moss?)

Was going to update comparisons later, but then I realized that the reviews by flame dancer and Ella 343 belie say it best. I do think vol du nuit is less warm in tone and a bit more four season friendly than caron NdN, but I would wear caron NdN year round too, depending on my mood. VdN is more austere. I should also state that I under apply fragrance and prefer to dab it, not spray which affects outcome and eliminates or reduces sillage.

Much is made of its romantic association with aviation and adventure, but a kind of stasis grips the heart of Vol de Nuit, anchoring it firmly to this blighted earth. Even the metallic vitriol of petrol fumes, recreated by the corrosive, medicinal sulfuric, terpene-rich galbanum, hints at a cthonic origin. In one respect, the name is entirely just; it is best worn in the chill winter night, not to comfort as Shalimar would, but to belong. No other perfume so perfectly captures the very substance of darkness itself—opaque, vague, and lonely. There is only starlight in Vol de Nuit, a brief twinkle of bergamot and mandarin, quickly shuttered by a bitter cloud of galbanum, poor illumination against the dense backdrop of resinous woods and earthy aromatics: an abundance of narcissus and iris (these are not actually floral), agarwood, cinnamon (though perhaps more accurately a spice), rosewood, cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, oakmoss, benzoin, and tonka bean.

Vol de Nuit serves is the prototypical bittersweet, caught between attraction and repulsion, and counts in its lineage perfumes such as Bandit and Vent Vert (themselves very influential), as if Cellier dehydrated the sepia-toned original of its Guerlinade and then split it in two halves, one black, the other green. Bittersweet is a common enough theme in art—the grit and heartache in Billie Holiday's voice, that sinister tendency behind Kubrick's films, Hamlet generally screwing everyone up with his eloquence, the Amazonian custom of cutting off a breast to ease archery, Goya's black paintings—it is a little more unexpected from a perfume. If a spirit of adventure guides this composition, it is not, as the name may imply, informed by the rash heroism of youth, but by a mature confidence, leading us on an inward journey, deeper into the heart of darkness.

I often think that Guerlain's perfumes are essays on human frailty, and this is what makes them so fascinating. But Vol de Nuit is a homage, not to frailty, but to human strength, the only one we have, the ability to weather horrible, mindless, meaningless adversity, to face that endless night, know it is there, and still live. If that isn't bittersweet, I don't know what is.

Finally, I got to try Vol de Nuit, and it is just gorgeous! This is a soft oriental, similar to Shalimar, but a little more woody and less vanillic. It's very elegant and soft. I am more comfortable wearing this than Shalimar due to Shalimar's huge popularity and connection with elderly relatives. Terribly difficult to locate, I believe only Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman have it in their stores. Absolutely worth getting a decant to try if the stores near you don't carry Vol de Nuit. It is a true beauty, and I wish it were more available in the mainstream.

I´ve just recieved my first one, ordered online unsniffed, what a great surprise: I loved it! It reminds me of something that I have no idea what it is... as each one of all old guerlains I suppose. It surely has something of Shalimar but more fruitier and some insence leading into some animalic almost manly dark note. Amazing fragrance! I´ll keep ordering unsniffed guerlain classics online as nothing compares to them. Thanks for all you girls reviewers that in a way are helping me on my relevance list!

Ok, I understand Vol de Nuit is a masterpiece. But, I don't think this is a wearable fragrance for me. I would describe Vol de Nuit as an intense oriental. The first thing that came to my mind was super skanky. The skank lets off heading into the dry down but the strong spices are still there. There is nothing floral at all about this fragrance......it's pure darkness. I would love to own a bottle (the bottle itself is beautiful) but I'm not sure if I'd have the opportunity to wear this.

I bought the EDP for myself for the holidays from Neimans. The original scent was delicious and intoxicating, however....after about 5 minutes I was totally scent-less. Maybe I'm crazy but I couldn't detect anything. I'm sure that my body chemistry is deficient and to blame because this is the most lovely fragrance I have ever sniffed - it just doesn't like me. Even when just minutes after application, I asked my daughter how I smelled by offering my neck, she said "Like nothing - I don't smell anything". Needless to say I'm more than disappointed.

VdN has become my signature fragrance-- it's spicy, soulful, complex yet accessible and eternal. I tried it first in the EDT which, while nice, lasted mere minutes on me. But then I tired the extrait (parfum) and it was love at first inhale, which only increased through all phases including its drydown. The Guerlainade is certainly in evidence, giving VdN a clear connection to Shalimar, but I find VdN more interesting and evocative. It is a timeless and very much still relevant fragrance, unlike almost all the scents developed in the last decade which are "flavor of the month" and fruity, or cloying or simply just annoying. VdN is, in my opinion, Guerlain at its finest!

I'm really disappointed. I read that it was Diana Rigg's favorite, and that's why I wanted to try it. I tried it twice tonight, and it's - dare I say it - a powdery version of a woman's Old Spice cologne. If anyone wants to trade, just let me know. This perfume, as much as I adore Guerlain scents, is just too woody for me.

I just received my brand new bottle of Vol de Nuit EdT, purchased unsniffed and based on MUA reviews. I agree with a number of reviews and will try to sum it up as best as I can. Vol de Nuit is similar to Shalimar minus the cloying saccharine quality I dislike in Shalimar. It resembles Jicky, with the animalic note smoothed down a little and the herbal note is not as sharp, making it much easier to wear and devastatingly melancholy. It suits my personality and melds with my chemistry so well, it doesn't smell at all like perfume on me. However I uncomfortable wearing it. It reminds me of a very sad time in my life.